The Politics of Gun Control

By Robert J. Spitzer

Book Overview

Since its initial publication in 1995, this book has become the classic work on every important element of the tumultuous national gun debate in America. This new edition brings together the latest developments and research in gun politics, policy, law, history, and criminology to provide a comprehensive and accessible source widely used by scholars, journalists, and in classrooms. In this era of polarized politics, this book provides a unique window into how and why that polarization drives our politics. Among the new topics covered in this edition are the Supreme Court's new foray into applying history to evaluate modern gun laws, the effects of political whipsawing between Democratic and Republican control of government, and the consequences of that for gun laws, violence, and policy.

New to the Tenth Edition

Analysis of the Supreme Court's Rahimi decision that for the first time implemented its controversial history-based standard for judging the constitutionality of current gun laws Highlights the whiplash between the pro-gun policy actions of the Biden administration and the second Trump administration's about-face to roll back those initiatives Chronicles the rise and nearly cataclysmic implosion of the once-vaunted National Rifle Association as self-created problems brought it to the brink of disaster, and as legal actions against the NRA finally came to an end Elucidates the scramble of other gun rights groups to replace the NRA as the nation's foremost anti-gun law organization Presents new and updated statistical research on gun ownership in America, gun-related fatalities, public opinion support of 'red-flag' laws and other gun control measures. After a surge in gun violence and gun ownership, both have receded to pre-pandemic levels, and the murder rate continues its decline after a short upsurge Includes new pedagogical features of chapter summaries and discussion questions in each chapter

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1041045166
• ISBN13: 9781041045168
• Release Date: August 2025
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 302 Pages
• Weight: 1.31 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

might be good, but not by the Priest

I bought this thinking it was the work of the Jesuit priest, Fr. Robert J Spitzer... it is not, nor the others on weapon use/regulation. Just a caution

Excellent analysis

A fine book for anyone interested in understanding how the NRA has hijacked the issue of gun control in the U.S.. Spitzer's analysis is well-reasoned and presented clearly. I recommend this book highly.

Good overview, not definitive

Unlike one of the other previous reviewers, though I am generally a conservative, I would agree with this book's primary conclusion: the NRA has had a disproportionate impact on the politics of gun control. The legal and constitutional analysis of the Second Amendment also does not seem to be much in dispute. Perhaps there is some evidence he does not cite for thinking that it goes back to an individual right to bear arms, but as conceived by those who wrote it, the Second Amendment was clearly intended to protect the rights of state militias. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in this issue, scholar and lay reader alike.

Not For Those Who Have Already Made Up Their Minds

I wonder if the reader from Glen Ellen CA and I read the same book? That review seemed to my mind an excellent example of tediously shaving facts to fit one's predilections- much more so than the actual work in question. I do happen to agree with him in this regard- people who have already made up their minds about the issue will find the book irritating-- in much the same way that baseball fans are irritated by umpires. Spitzer builds a case for stepping back from the issue far enough to see alternatives clearly, and to understand the larger forces driving the insanity of this battle over weapons of destruction. The problem for Spitzer is that human beings consistently develop addictions to causes that allow them to release large amounts of adrenaline into their circulatory and central nervous systems in the form of rage, paranoia and righteous indignation. Actually solving the problem would be the equivalent of flushing one's favorite stash of drugs down the toilet. Those who don't want to see this battle over guns ended will find plenty of things to irritate and discomfort them in Spitzer's intelligent analysis.

A balanced and informative treatment

I found Mr. Spitzer's book to be quite informative and thought-provoking. In regard to the question of evidence, I don't know what book Mr. Anderson of Portland, OR read, but Spitzer's book has an ample and varied list of sources (pages 154-203), about a quarter of the entire book. Most of his sources are respectable journals such as the Journal of the AMA and the NE Journal of Medicine, and he also cites many Supreme Court decisions in his examination of the Second Amendment's meaning. To Prof. Spitzer's credit, he also consulted the familiar sources on the pro-gun side of the debate: Kleck, Gertz, Kates, Rossi, et al. I'm sure that Spitzer will be accused of being "biased" or "liberal" because most of his conclusions do not support the pro-gun arguments, but please note that he, at times, does find some value in the questions that their research raises (see his comments on Kleck's doubts about a comprehensive national survey, pages 56-57). Spitzer's treatment of the Brady Law is also even-handed (pages 125-26).Spitzer's book provoked me to thinking about the gun issue in new ways. His thesis that the gun-control debate is largely one of public-policy making in which "elephantine political forces battle over political mice" (page 136) is developed very well throughout. I also found his examination of the NRA quite interesting. After reading it, I began to feel that the organization has really hurt its own rank-and-file base by overly politicizing the issue of firearms. There must be a lot of outdoor enthusiasts and sportsman who don't think that the proliferation of automatic weapons and KTW armor-piercing bullets (aka, "cop-killer bullets") would make America a safer place. But the NRA does not permit such dissention in their ranks it seems (page 83). Spitzer writes that because of its hard-line, no compromise approach, the NRA "has often sacrificed both a sense of perspective and the truth, leading to a general erosion of its credibility outside of its core constituency" (page 100). I agree.In short, I feel that this is a very useful and informative work. In light of the recent outbursts of gun violence in our country, I think that everyone concerned about the gun issue has an obligation to read this book.

Very readable scholarly treatment of a controversial topic.

Spitzer offers a very readable scholarly treatment of this crucial public policy issue. He does a very thorough job of analyzing the problem of gun violence in America and makes clear and reasonable arguments about appropriate public policy responses. This is a must read for anyone interested in the issue.